Big Day Out

Wholly Schnikees! What a sweet non-sponsored-just-bands music festival. I spent my day off on Monday (Australia Day for most, Invasion Day for others - it’s like Columbus Day) walking around the Melbourne Horse Racing Track watching many bands play:

The Darkness - just plain ol’ Rock and Roll from Oz
Salmonella Dub - a NZ dub group, dread head magnets!
Black Eyed Peas - shuttup already
Something for Kate - like the Samples, depressed
Dandy Warhols - heroin is passe, by the way
JET - more Oz R&R
The Strokes - older than I thot
Metallica - Hetfield is really a nice guy live, he kept thanking the audience for inviting them to play BDO
THE FLAMING LIPS - huttah and more huttah. Basically, the best art show I’ve been to since Rabbit in the Moon. Animal costumes (on the band and on the dancers on stage), 3-6 foot balloons for the crowd to bounce, a White Stripes cover, much video in the back, and a puppet Nun leading everyone in a chorus of “Yoshimi”

Other news: found eels in the lake in the Royal Botanic Garden. Jess the Pizza chef at BT introduces me as the “Most unAmerican American” he knows - and he means it to be a compliment, which rocks.

Yesterday, Bernard asked me if I knew who was playing in the Superbowl. I was completely surprised that I didn’t know the answer. But it made me happy.

It’s not to say that I’m not out of the sports world, tho. The Australian open is going on here in Melbourne, and it’s always on TV, news, radio, and other street adverts. And cricket, too. But I know how that works now, and the professional stuff is interesting if it’s a close match.

Midsumma festival started this weekend. It’s a huge gay and lesbian celebration, http://www.midsumma.org.au, going on in Federation Square. Speaking of Fed , there’s a new bar there called Transport. It has live feeds of the ISS, Melb Int’l Airport, and Flinders St Station in addition to a massive beer list (100+). BUT, for 7.50 you can get your very own bottle of Miller Genuine Draft! HAH! I stick to the Eurpean stouts.

Worked my last Saturday at the Blue Train - now I have a weekend night for cavorting about town and pub. Lucky Rich has become a weekend regular, now.

Went to the bay beach today! It was finally warm enuf: 98 (it’s been around 70-75 for the last 3 weeks, and the antartic-chilled water is COLD).

No Logo is a great book. I’m really enjoying it so far. Go and check it out from the library (don’t buy it - you’ll just be sold on the anti-corporate lifestyle).

Much more hanging with the Blue Trainers… Everyone seems to have a birthday this time of year. Must be the cold Oz winter of May and June. I’ve been to the Melbourne Supper Club (a send-off for Emma, who’s travelling to Laos and Thailand) for scotch and early morning talk (last drinks were called at 6am or something). I’ve been to Republika for Vic’s 21st (which oddly 21st parties are like the US ones, even tho the OZ drinking age is 18) - a communist-esque club that had a musically good cover band (but the singer couldn’t remember the right lyrics). Kim’s 21st was at her high-rise condo near the Blue Train (like a 10 min walk). And I couldn’t get into Nola’s 2nd annual 21st because the door guy needed a passport since I didn’t have an Oz ID. Oh well, at least I got paid to DJ the swing dance ($10/hr).

I have a few things to write about today, seeing as how I didn’t do any writing for a spell.

I stumbled across an interesting observation during a bike ride between home and work (which direction I was going, I don’t specifically recall)… I grew up with an omnipotent god, an entity to which I could tell all my troubles and care and joys. This quiet praying/meditation/whatever you’d like to call it led to a sort of self-counselling (sp). And so I find myself working out problems and decisions on my own rather second nature. Sounds good, right? WRONG. This hinders my ability to be intimate with people. I don’t talk about my problems and happiness that often, because it’s self contained and such, so others think I’m closed and distant and cold. Alas, learning to open up has been and continues to be a long process. But at least now I recognize the birthing issue.

The world’s most tattooed man, Aussie and also a street performer, came into Blue Train last night (http://www.alphasylum.com/shop2/ and http://www.luckyrich.com/tattoopress.asp). He was cool, but stayed too late. Rod, the supervisor, knew him, and was able to get him out.

Jan 8th, the necklace that Sarah gave to me for graduation (which she brought back from Costa Rica) fell apart while I was taking a shower. I freaked out at first, over the significance of the loss. I cherish that memento. But quickly, a metaphor came to mind. I saw the necklace as a worry bracelet or ring. The bracelets are around only as long as you need them. So, once the necklace broke, I saw it as an indication that I had grown. I’m now free to explore unhindered, fly like a loosened bird, without anything to worry about.

So technology has been an infrequent part of my life recently, or at least the intel version, plenty of motorolage. NYD and Jan 02 I worked double shifts (ie 12-13 hours ‘o fun). But, I extorted money to pick up the second double (Rocky, that’s the guy’s nickname, payed my $15 to pick up his day shift). And THEN, the day turned out to be BANK. I made over $60 in tips, plus the bribe!

Let’s travel back in time, shall we?

New year’s was good and such. Went to the Art Museum and found a fashion section sponsored by the Macy’s equivalent (Myer). Weird.

After that, it was a 3 way bday party with the swingers. One of the hostesses had too much to drink and suggested that she and I get married. Stuck around there for a few hours before going to the DJ gig (I had a slot at the NYE swing dance) - but my CD wasn’t entirely readable by my player. So, I made an impromptu set from the other people’s music, and I played songs they didn’t know.

While I was cleaning at the Blue Train yesterday, as part of the closing duties, a thot bubbled to the top of my mind: my friends back home are always bitching about how bad the US news media is. But then, when something big happens (ie Saddam was unearthed), they ask me if I know about it. Talk about hidden hypocricy and prejudice. The US may have shit media to them, in their opinion, but it’s still apparently better
than any other country’s. Uf and o¤!